393 বাংলাদেশের স্বাধীনতা যুদ্ধ দলিলপত্রঃ চতুর্দশ খন্ড So the army is not going to pull out. The Government's policy for East Bengal was spelled out to me in the Eastern Command headquarters at Dacca. It has three elements : (1)The Bengalis have proved themselves "unreliable" and must be ruled by West Pakistanis; (2)The Bengalis will have to be re-educated along proper Islamic lines. The "Islamisation of the masses"-this is the official jargon-is intended to eliminate secessionist tendencies and provide a strong religious bond with West Pakistan: (3) When the Hindus have been eliminated by death and flight, their property will be used as a golden carrot to win over the under-privileged Muslim middleclass. This will provide the base for erecting administrative and political structures in the future. This policy is being pursued with the utmost blatancy. Because of the mutiny, it has been officially decreed that there will not for the present be any further recruitment of Bengalis in the defense forces. Senior Air Force and Navy officers, who were not in any way involved, have been moved "as a precaution" to non-sensitive positions. Bengali fighter pilots, among them some of the aces of the Air Force, had the humiliation of being grounded and moved to non-flying duties. Even PIA air crews operating between the two wings of the country have been strained clean of Bengalis. The East Pakistan Rifles, once almost exclusively a Bengali paramilitary force, has ceased to exist since the mutiny., A new force the Civil Defense Force, has been raised by recruiting Biharis and volunteers from West Pakistan. Biharis, instead of Bengalis are also being used as the basic material for the police. They are supervised by officers sent out from West Pakistan and by secondment from the army. The new Superintendent of Police at Chandpur at the end of April was a Military Police major. Hundreds of West Pakistani government civil servants, doctors, and technicians for the radio, TV, telegraph and telephone services have already been sent out to East Pakistan. More are being encouraged to go with the promise of one and two-step promotions. But the transfer, when made, is obligatory. President Yahya, recently issued an order making it possible to transfer civil servants to any part of Pakistan against their will. The universities 'sorted out' I was told that all the Commissioners of East Bengal and the district Deputy Commissioner will in future be either Biharis or civil officers from West Pakistan. The Deputy Commissioners of districts were said to be too closely involved with the Awami league secessionist movement. In some cases, such as that of the Deputy Commissioner of Comilla, they were caught and shot. That particular officer had incurred the wrath of army on March 20 when he refused to requisition petrol and food supplies "without a letter from Sheikh Mujibur Rahman." The Government has, also come down hard on the universities and colleges of East Bengal. They were considered the hot beds of conspiracy and they are being "Sorted out".
